Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Money matters

Find financial and money-saving discussions including debt and pension chat on our Money forum. If you're looking for ways to make your money to go further, sign up to our Moneysaver emails here.

Original poster

Cheeky neighbours want me to pay

435 replies

eggfairy1 · 12/04/2022 22:55

New neighbours bought a flat in my building. There are eight flats in total in the building.

I haven't met them yet but they're buying for investment and I found it posted online for rent already.

I came home the other day to find the main door to the building had been painted. It was shabby before and could do with a coat but this was surprising since I hadn't been consulted and it was a shared door. The new colour is black which I was always told was a bad omen. I really didn't like it but didn't want to make a fuss.

They have now emailed us saying they want the flats to equally contribute £25. Lovely to meet you too.

It may not sound like a lot of money but I am really budgeting right now and my weekly budget for fun is £30 and it would have to come from that which is miserable.

I just know if I send them the money I will be bitter about it and anxious that they may expect me to pay in the future without consenting me.

If asked, I would have reluctantly agreed to have it painted just not black.

Is there any way I can get away with not paying and not entirely ruin any relationship with them?

OP posts:
MeridianB · 13/04/2022 07:41

Agree with all the PP that you should not pay. I’d probably ignore the email and if they pushed I’d refer them to whatever the maintenance agreement is in your lease. Agree that no one should be handing out email addresses either. The decisions made by these CFs and the overbearing neighbour absolutely don’t trump the rights of six other residents.

TheHighStreetsAreDying · 13/04/2022 07:43

As others have said, don't pay up in these circumstances. I live somewhere with a similar issue where all owners are responsible for upkeep. It's written into the deeds. We also don't have an official person or company who arranges for things to be done, but one of the neighbours has always been happy to take on the role unofficially, and we're all happy with him doing so. Whenever anything needs doing, we are all consulted by him (9 properties) and he always gets 3 quotes before any work is agreed. Last time it was a crack in a retaining wall, it had to be done, but we were all consulted beforehand, and payment agreed per property too.

Your new neighbours would get short shrift pulling that shit round here OP Grin

BellePeppa · 13/04/2022 07:49

I wouldn’t pay! You’d be setting a precedent then that they can make decisions and, with a bit of pressure, you’d likely pay up. The bill is excessive anyway, it wouldn’t cost that much to paint one door.

2DogsOnMySofa · 13/04/2022 07:51

Firstly I'm sure you'll be paying a maintenance charge, which covers things like painting doors.

Secondly they can't just make 'improvements without firstly agreeing with the other residents

Thirdly they shouldn't be asking you for money

I'd send a note back stating that they should have contacted the maintenance company, who would have gained agreements from ALL residents. As it stands you didn't agree for it to be painted, you would have objected to the colour anyway, and you already pay a maintenance charge for this type of work.

Plus £200 a door is beyond overpriced!

eurochick · 13/04/2022 07:57

You do need to check the maintenance set up. Someone should be insuring the building and taking responsibility for maintenance.

Unless the lease suggests otherwise I'd be inclined to reply that they had no right to paint the door, you weren't consulted and ask them to please restore the door to [previous colour]. They won't, of course, but it might make them back off.

Popopopo · 13/04/2022 07:58

As others have said, dont pay and please go through your paper work and learn how you're property is managed. I'm assuming its a shared free hold and if I were you I would be very worried about how future maintenance is going to be paid for, it all sounds worryingly unorganised. That is the much bigger issue here, rather than the cf and the door.

ExplodingElephants · 13/04/2022 07:58

Either just ignore or say no. They’ve painted the door without your permission and now it’s up to them to foot the bill. If they ask, say you will consider further contributions to future things but ONLY if consulted beforehand. Fuck ruining relationships, they didn’t care about your feelings so why would you care about theirs?

DoItAfraid · 13/04/2022 08:01

@eggfairy1

thank you I feel a bit better now

Should I just ignore the email first and see if they come back again? I feel although all your suggestions are reasonable I would feel so anxious sending that response.

It was technically two doors with the main front and then the inner porch door too - it does seem ridiculously expensive.

Why do you feel anxious to send a response pointing out that there was no consultation?

I dont get it.

It’s like a stranger walking up to you in the street and just demanding cash from you.

You havent even met them and they don’t live there. And their actions were out of order.

It’s pretty clear cut to me.

Londoncallingme · 13/04/2022 08:04

@Glamora

Could you ask how many quotes they got?

How they decided on the colour as you seem to have missed that consultation

^ This! What a cheek! Tell them you’d like it returned to its original colour! Just fall out with them if necessary! They won’t be living there anyway so why do you care? They obviously don’t give a damn about other peoples feelings or opinions.
Hollywolly1 · 13/04/2022 08:05

Are you renting your flat or do you own it?.It is good to keep a place looking well otherwise it could get run down and shabby looking very quickly and the value would drop.So if you own your flat think about paying although they are very cheeky,if you only rent it I'd say a definite no.They bought it to rent out and only reason they psinting door is to look better for photos and get increased rent,they paint they pay unless agreed beforehand

Hollywolly1 · 13/04/2022 08:07

BTW you will never see them as it would be rented and if you do so what as they are very greedy and know it

Penguinevere · 13/04/2022 08:08

I’d ignore it
You have no relationship with them to ruin

SnowingInApril · 13/04/2022 08:08

No way I’d pay this.

What happens if they feel the walls of the hallway need a new lick of paint? Or the carpet needs replacing? Or the windows need refreshing?
If you pay for the door you are in for a long line of bills.

I wouldn’t ignore. I’d reply stating you had no idea the door was being painted and hadn’t been provided with any quotes for the work or agreed in advance to contribute.

For £200 I would have done it Grin

CheeseCakeSunflowers · 13/04/2022 08:09

Presumably as you know everyone else has been emailed then their email addresses show on the email you received. I would reply to all, saying you were unaware of any consultation and have not agreed to this so you will not be contributing. If you want, you could also mention that you would prefer the doors to be returned to their original colour. I think it's likely when your neighbours see your reply many will do the same.

SockFluffInTheBath · 13/04/2022 08:10

I understand you’re upset about the unlucky colour OP. I’d reply to say that communal works should be agreed in advance with quotes supplied and agreed by everyone before proceeding. You have a cultural discomfort with the colour chosen and won’t be paying for something you didn’t agree to in advance.

TheBigDilemma · 13/04/2022 08:13

If you were not consulted about the work and price or didn’t agree to it, you don’t pay, simples.

Badbadbunny · 13/04/2022 08:14

Check your lease - it will include the procedure for approval and payment for maintenance of common/shared areas.

Badbadbunny · 13/04/2022 08:15

If someone has given them your email address without your permission, they could well have breached the GDPR (data protection)laws.

angela99999 · 13/04/2022 08:20

@Intheinterestsoffairness

I'd email back and say that work in cummunal areas isn't managed in this way. If they want work done, all other owners must agree to the works in advance and costs agreed, also in advance. As this didn't happen, there's no liability to pay.

Tbh whether you can afford it or not is neither here nor there, and I wouldn't mention it - they can't retrospectively expect you to pay without prior agreement and that's all that matters.

This.
Heythere13 · 13/04/2022 08:24

Very strange not to have a service charge that covers maintenance

I am in a block of flats
We each put in £120 a month
Covers communal electricity bill

And also repainting building, roof repairs

All flat blocks have had to install up to date fire safety alarms that all link up to all flats and communal area. That was hundreds of pounds. Have you not had to do that?

icelollycraving · 13/04/2022 08:30

There are things I would worry about in your scenario, not having a sinking fund for works needed, another owner giving out your details. Paying them? Nope.
A vaguely spiky but factual email back would be my response.
Dear new owners,
I was surprised to receive your email as I had not provided you with my personal email or been asked for my agreement in you having it.
I have not been provided with any quotes for the work, asked for approval of colours and as such do not agree to the works.
I would remind you that going forward, any works in communal areas must gain approval from all owners before commencing works.
I will not be contributing to these unnecessary works as I was not consulted.
Alternatively just a simple ‘not happening’ may suffice.

DameHelena · 13/04/2022 08:34

They're trying to railroad and bully people.

Email back: 'No. I wasn't consulted on cost or colour.'

End of.

Herejustforthisone · 13/04/2022 08:34

I would ignore the missive. If they then start hassling you to pay, I’d say that as tenants of the building, they cannot unilaterally decide to get someone in to paint the doors, fail to get multiple quotes, fail to consult with any other property owners and then demand a share of the cost after the fact. It’s their cost and their cost alone.

Who is the property freeholder or is it shared?

DameHelena · 13/04/2022 08:35

Oh yes, and unless you know how they have your email and are OK with it (actually, even if this is the case), add 'I don't understand how you have my email address but I didn't give permission. I'm blocking you.'

icelollycraving · 13/04/2022 08:36

Sorry, too many works in my post Blush